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Ex-Press Aide Writes That Bush Misled U.S. on Iraq

by Dave Keating | May 28, 2008 at 12:14 am

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Helen Thomas gives the White House Press Secretary a shellacking

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Helen Thomas gives the White House Press Secretary a shellacking

These allegations coming from President Bush's former press secretary, a man who served him for a decade, are truly shocking. It is not the allegations themselves that are shocking - they merely confirm what most Americans have come to believe anyway - it is the fact that the man making them was the very person delivering the "political propoaganda campaign" to the media. It's hard to say what effect this might have on the current presidential campaign, but whatever legitimacy George W. Bush had left as US president is now likely completely gone. With seven months left in his term, and rumors that the administration intends to attack Iran before the end of the year, the rest of 2008 could bring a very unpleasant reality.

Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by President Bush and aimed at "manipulating sources of public opinion" and "downplaying the major reason for going to war."

McClellan includes the charges in a 341-page book, "What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception," that delivers a harsh look at the White House and the man he served for close to a decade. He describes Bush as demonstrating a "lack of inquisitiveness," says the White House operated in "permanent campaign" mode, and admits to having been deceived by some in the president's inner circle about the leak of a CIA operative's name.

The book, coming from a man who was a tight-lipped defender of administration aides and policy, is certain to give fuel to critics of the administration, and McClellan has harsh words for many of his past colleagues. He accuses former White House adviser Karl Rove of misleading him about his role in the CIA case. He describes Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as being deft at deflecting blame, and he calls Vice President Cheney "the magic man" who steered policy behind the scenes while leaving no fingerprints.

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Sanjay Jha

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 02:03 on May 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Rhonda J Mangus

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 03:07 on May 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Mikasi

at 03:30 on May 28th, 2008

In his autobiography, Ben Franklin left a great quote

Man is not a rational animal. He is a rationalizing animal.

That said, while this is a great story I expect that very few people's minds will be changed concerning Bush, The War or the righteousness of any other players involved.

Jordan Yerman

at 05:54 on May 28th, 2008

While they may not be great collective decision-makers, people are great at constructing narratives to force recent events into a "it all turned out for the best" kind of story. In other words, I don't believe that voters will not really learn much one way or the others from the past eight years.

Karen Hatter

at 06:31 on May 28th, 2008

I think you're right, Jordan. In general, people like being lulled into a sense of security, real or imagined. I'm hoping this time something has been or will be learned.

Mike Wood

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:29 on May 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.

It's a real shame that the American people were so blinded into letting this man and his administration continue for so long.

Karen Hatter

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:21 on May 28th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Albert Milliron

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 07:47 on May 29th, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff. Old news (not referring to your story) almost all of the book was leaked months ago. interesting how a Soros company thought now would be the right time. regarding being mislead. It happened in the first gulf war as well as we heard testomony in congress that Babies were being left to die on the floors and rapes by Iraq soldiers in Quwait. Never happened and we still can' find the girl who testified at that hearing. The PR of war makes me ill as the country should neber turn over its ratiinal to go to war to PR Types wo set up fake grass root groups to make the case for war. If one thinks this happened only by Bush, think again. May I recommend Ira Basen Spin Cycles to anyone who wants to learn about political spim mastering. It is sad that the MSM bought this, Today they are defending that they were mislead. Hey, you are news companies, how about a little research. Always blame Bush when a little investigation on the medias part may have ended this thing. But the media, Hook, line, and sinker because they don't want to be journalists any longer. Parrating is the order of the day. Remember, Sam Donaldson? How about our Front row Helen Thomas who will ask tough questions, where have all the jorunalists gone, long time passing.